Etched circuit relay



April 5, 1960 r.'A. Downs ETCHED CIRCUIT RELAY Original Filed Aug.` 15, 1956 INVENTOR. THOMAS A. DOWDS AGENT United States PatentfO ETCHED CIRCUIT RELAY Thomas A. -Dowds, Malvern, Pa., assignor to Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Original application August 15, 1956, Serial No. 604,191. Divided and this application October 29, 1957, Serial No. 693,162

3 Claims. (Cl. 200-87) The invention hereinafter described and claimed has to do with relays and more specically to etched or `printed circuit relays, and comprises a division of copending application in the name of George A. Baird and Thomas A. Dowds, S.N. 604,191, filed August 15, 1956, and entitled Accounting Machine With Recording Apparatus, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved relay characterized by its simplicity of structure and economy of manufacture.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide such a relay, wherein certain parts thereof are particularly suited for mass production by etched or printed circuit techniques.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent when reference is made to the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a relay constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the relay;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the printed circuit component of the relay.

Now with reference to Figs. l and 2 it will be seen that the relay includes a printed circuit board or panel upon which is mounted in any suitable manner, such as by screws 11, a U-shaped bracket 12, supporting a pair of opposing electromagnets 13 and 14 secured by nuts 15 and 16 to opposite sides 17 and 18 respectively of the U-shaped channel 12. The electro-magnets 13 and v14 are adapted to be energized selectively in the manner set forth in the above identified co-pending application, and by way of input and output leaf terminals and 21 respectively positioned along the top edge of panel 10, printed or etched wiring 22 and 23 respectively, input and output terminals 24 and 25 respectively secured along the lower edge of panel 10, and wires 26 and 27 connecting terminals 24 and 25 to the'coils of the solenoids.

Pivotally mounted atV 30 on the bottom portion 31` of U-shaped channel 12 is a clapper 32 common to'both solenoids and which is moved to the left or right depending upon which the solenoids 13 or 14 is energized. This movement of clapper 32 swings an insulating connector carrying member 33 riveted to the upper end thereof to the left or right over printed circuit panel 10, thus to move connectors 34 and 35 secured thereto in any suitable manner, such as by rivets 36, across printed circuit contacts 40A, B, C, D, E and F, see Fig. 4. Connectors 34 and 35 each comprises dual pairs of electrically conductive fingers 34A and 35A respectively, connected by bridge pieces 34B and 35B respectively.

When moved to its leftward condition,as seen in Fig. 1, by energization of solenoid 13, connector 34 is bridging contacts 40A and 40C, and connector 35 is bridging contacts 40D and 40F. When solenoid 14 is energized, solenoid 13 is deenergized and the clapper is pulled t0 ice fthe right, moving connectors 34 and 35 across boar'd '10 Ycontacts 46B and 40C and connector 35 bridges contacts 40E and 40?. The clapper is releasably held in either position by a resilient finger 41 biased against the rear edge of the clapper.

Now with reference to Fig. 4 it'will be seen that contacts 40A and 40B may comprise input contacts of two separate circuits with a common output 40C, while contacts 40D and 40E represent input contacts of two other circuits with a common output contact 40F, all contacts being connected to leaf terminals 41 positioned along the top edge of the panel10, see Fig. 1, as by etched wires 42. I

Thus it can be seen that by alternately energizing solenoids 13 and 14, the relay is effective to break two circuits, one of which includes contacts 40A and 40C, and the other including contacts 40D and 40F, while making two other circuits, one including contacts 40B and 40C, and the other including contacts 40E and 40F respectively.

Again with reference to Fig. 4 it is seen that etched or printed wires 22, 23 and 42 are connected to similarly formed pads 43 along the top edge of panel 10 and that wires 22 and 23 are also connected to etched pads 44 along the bottom edge of the panel. Pads 43 and 44 provide means for mounting the terminals 20, 21, 24,

. 25 and 41 in electrically conductive relation with the etched Wires, as by rivets 45.

Each relay is provided with a pair of hollow bosses 46 secured to panel 10 in a convenient manner over apertures 47 in the panel thereby, as seen in broken lines in Fig. 3, to provide means for stacking one relay upon another as by rods 48.

From the above description of a preferred embodiment of the invention it is now seen that the apparatus provides a novel relay characterized by its simple and inexpensive construction readily adapted for mass production, and wherein a major component may be manufactured by etched or printed circuit techniques.

l claim:

`l. A relay comprising, a lirst insulating panel, a Vfirst row of terminals arranged along one edge of said panel, a second row of terminals arranged along another edge of said panel printed wiring on said panel interconnecting certain terminals of said rst row of terminals with certain terminals of said second row of terminals, a plurality of switch contacts printed on said panel, printed Wiring on said panel interconnecting said switch contacts with other terminals of said rst row terminals, a pair of solenoids electrically connected to terminals in said second row, means supporting said solenoids on said panel, a pivotally mounted clapper, a second insulating panel secured to said clapper and arranged in spaced substantially parallel relation with said rst panel, and an electrical connector element carried by said second panel and spanning the space between said panels, said second panel being movable from one position to another upon alternate energization of said solenoids thereby causing said connector alternately to bridge certain of said switch contacts on said first panel.

2. A relay comprising, a rst insulating panel, a first row of terminals arranged along one edge of said panel, a second row of terminals arranged along another edge of said panel, printed wiring on said panel interconnecting liatented Apr. 5, 19.60 v

a pivotally mounted clapper, a second insulating panel secured to said clapper and arranged in spaced substantially parallel relation with said first panel, a plurality of electrical connector elements carried by said second panel and spanning the space between said panels, said second panel being movable from one position to another upon alternate energization of said solenoids thereby causing said connectors alternately to bridge certain of said switch contacts on said first panel, and means to restrain said second panel in one or the other of said positions.

3. A relay comprising, a rst insulating panel, a rst row of terminals arranged along one edge of said panel, a second row of terminals arranged along another edge of said panel, printed wiring on said panel interconnecting certain terminals of said first row of terminals with certain terminals of said second row of terminals, a plurality of switch contacts printed on said panel, printed wiring on said panel interconnecting said switch contacts With other terminals or said rst row of terminals, a pair of solenoids electrically connected to terminals in said second row, means supporting said solenoids on said panel, said last means comprising a U-shaped bracket having its ends secured to said panel, a clapper pivotally mounted on said bracket and extending between said solenoids, a second insulating panel secured to said clapper, a plurality of electrical connector elements carried by said second panel, said second panel being movable by said clapper from one position to another upon alternate energization of said solenoids, thereby causing said connectors alternately to bridge certain of said switch contacts, and means to restrain said second panel in one or the other of said positions, said last means comprising a resilient element biased against said clapper.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 998,147 Allen et al July 18, 1911 1,422,625 Schwartz July l1, 1922 1,550,611 Howe Aug. 18, 1925 2,158,451 Wilson May 16, 1939 2,576,220 Griflins Nov. 27, 1951 2,616,994 Luhn Nov. 4, 1952 2,649,513 Luhn Aug. 18, 1953 2,678,985 Smith May 18, 1954 

